Process of concentrating ores.



No. 771,277. PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904. A. H SGHWARZ.

PROCESS OF GONGENTRATING ORES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR y {1 em! 4a w ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904.

PATE T OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR TO SOHVVARZ ORE OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

PROCESS OF CONCENTRATING ORES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 771,277, dated October 4, 1904.

Application filed November 6, 1903. Serial No. 180,122. (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALICE H. SOHWARZ, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Concentrating Ores, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process for the concentration of metallic ores; and it consists, essentially, in subjecting crushed ore to a melted bath of paraffin or similar material, then solidifying the mass, removing the paraffin carrying the metallic constituents of the ore, and subjecting it to the action of heat-to permit the precipitation of the concentrates, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The ore to be concentrated is first crushed to a convenient size for handling and is then discharged into a suitable vessel and there treated with a bath of melted paraffin, stearin, palmitin, or similar fatty material which is solid at normal temperatures. The crushed ore is thoroughly commingled with the fatty matter, any suitable form of agitator being employed for the purpose, and heat employed, if necessary, to maintain the fatty material in a liquid condition. After agitating for asufficient length of time or until the fatty material is thoroughly mixed throughout the mass of ore, the source of heat is removed, and cold water admitted into the mass and the agitation continued until the fatty mattersolidifies.

As the crushed ore and the melted fatty matter are mixed together the metallic constituents of the ore attach themselves to the fatty matter by adhesion; but the silica and other non-metallic portions have little or no attraction for the fatty matter. It results from this that when the cold water is turned into the vessel the fatty matter solidifies into a compact mass holding the metallic constituents of the ore, thereby effecting a separation of substantially all the values of the ore from the silica and other non-metallic constituents. The silica and other non-metallic constituents constituting the tailings or gangue settle in the bottom of the vessel and are drawn OH with the water by any suitable means. The mass Vessel for run to the concentrating .vessel for the treat.

ment of a fresh batch of ore.

Any suitable form of apparatus may be employed to carry out the necessary steps of the process above described.

In the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a mixing-tank, and Fig. 2 a like section of a melting-tank, is illustrated means which may be employed.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a steam-jacketed vessel of suitable form and dimensions having the pipes 2 and 3, respectively, leading into and discharging from the jacket. The pipe 2 may connect with any suitable source of steam to be supplied in sufficient quantity to maintain the fatty matter in a melted condition during the agitation of the same with the ore. Suitably supported within the vessel 1 is a vertical shaft 4:, having arms 5 attached thereto. The upper end of said shaft is connected with the power-shaft 6 through suitable gearing, by means of which the shaft 4 may be rotated, the said shaft and the arms 5 constituting an agitator. The fatty matter if melted outside of the vessel 1 may be introduced by means of a pipe 7 The vessel 1 is provided at its lower end with a valve 8, through which the water and tailings may be drawn off. The cold water employed to solidify the fatty matter may be introduced into the vessel 1 through any suitable means. For this purpose I have shown the shaft 4 perforated, and it may be connected at its'upper end to any suitable source of water-supply.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a suitable form of This may.

apparatus in which the values may be separated from the fatty matter after the latter has been solidified in the vessel 1. The fatty matter containing the values is removed from the vessel 1 by any suitable means and placed in the steam-jacketed vessel 9, having asteamsupply pipe and an outlet-pipe 11 for the water of condensation. The heat of the vessel 9 is sufificient to melt the fatty matter, and as this takes place the concentrates fall to the bottom of the vessel and may be compressed in the tubular portion 12 by means of a plunger 13. A cap 1a on the end of the portion 12 permits the removal of the concentrates, after which they may be subjected to any usual or suitable treatment.

1n the above description I have referred to parafiin as a fatty matter, using the term in. such connection in a popular and not a chemical sense. The specification and claims are to be read with that understanding.

I am aware that emulsions or fats and oils thickened or acidulated by chemical reagents have heretofore been employed for the separation of the metals from the gangue, and 'I wish to be understood as disclaiming such method.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing a melted fatty matter which issolid at normal temperatures with the ore, then solidifying the fatty matter and separating the gangue from the values entrained in the fatty matter while the latter is solidified.

2. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing a melted fatty matter which is solid at normal temperatures with the ore, then solidifying the fatty matter, then separating the gangue from the values entrained in the fatty matter while the latter is solidified, and finally liquefying the fatty matter to. separate the values therefrom.

3. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing a melted fatty matter which is solid at normal temperatures with the ore, then solidifying the fatty matter by the introduction of cold water into the mass and separating the gangue from the values entrained in the fatty matter while the latter is solidified.

4. The method of concentratingores which consists in mixing a melted fatty matter which is solid at normal temperatures with the ore, then solidifying the fatty matter and separating the gangue from the values entrained in the fatty matter while the latter is solidified, and agitating the mass during said mixing and solidifying operations.

5. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing a melted fatty matter which is solid at normal temperatures with the ore, then solidifying the fatty matter by the introduction of cold water into the mass and separating the gangue from the values entrained in the fatty matter while the latter is solidified, and finally liquefying the fatty matter to separate the values therefrom.

6. The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing melted paraffin with the ore, then solidifying the paraifin and separating the gangue from the values entrained in the parafiin while the latter is solidified.

7 The method of concentrating ores which consists in mixing melted paraffin with the ore, then solidifying the paraffin by introducing cold water into the mass and separating the gangue from the values entrained in the parafiin while the latter is solidified, and finally separating the values from the paraffin.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALICE H. SCHWARZ.

WVitnesses:

OTTO P. OSMERS, GRACE L. HEAsLEY. 

